


The Unforgiving Bend of John Sheppard's Spine

by sheafrotherdon



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Episode Related, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-10-01
Updated: 2006-10-01
Packaged: 2017-10-11 22:53:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/118035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheafrotherdon/pseuds/sheafrotherdon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set between the phone call and the dinner in 3x10: The Return (Part One).  Rodney acts on advice from Cadman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Unforgiving Bend of John Sheppard's Spine

_Well_ , thought John. _This is awkward_. "McKay."

"Oh shut up," Rodney hissed in the tone of voice he only ever used when he was worried or scared (or both) and determined to elbow his way through whatever problem was right in front of him, injuring people (if he had to) with a very small screwdriver that he kept in the right, front pocket of his vest. His arms were wrapped around John's body, pinning him in what was could only be termed 'a hug.'

This had the potential to get downright embarrassing.

"Rodney . . ." John offered, in his best rumbling, placatory voice.

"I am not a hapless native, you idiot," Rodney countered (somewhat viciously, John thought). "Stop fucking _pretending_ for once in your ridiculous, buttoned-up, faux-slouching, nothing-fazes-me, I'll-take-a-beer-with-that, hey- _buddy_ life."

So, okay, McKay was insane or something - he could deal with that; he'd dealt with worse. "Rodney, this is – "

Rodney squeezed him harder.

Okay, he had no idea what this was. One moment they'd been dragging Rodney's backpack, briefcase, and assorted grab-bag of luggage into John's apartment, and then next Rodney had been pacing (that, at least, was familiar), but thirty seconds after that he'd made his grab and – "Breath – is good," John managed.

Rodney obligingly relaxed his hold a fraction. It wasn't much, and Jesus, McKay was stronger than he looked, but it was enough that the imminent possibility of passing out had lessened.

"So." John wet his lips, thoughts running like a hamster in a wheel, body still unbending and unresponsive within the circle of Rodney's arms. "Area 51, huh?"

Rodney let out a long, unsteady breath. "I miss them too," he murmured, and John was shocked at the bitterness in his voice.

"Who?" he asked.

"Don't make me hit you," Rodney snapped. "Who do you think? The _Wraith_ of course – I'm tied up in knots because I miss the blood-sucking _vampires_ with whom I used to share a galaxy. Or, oh no! Wait! Perhaps I miss the Genii, the feckless bastards who _cut me_ like I was their cheap prison bitch. Or! Hang on! What about the – "

"Teyla?" John asked weakly. "Ronon?"

Rodney huffed. "Yes."

"Yeah," John nodded. Okay, at least now he knew the problem. "Yeah, it's kinda weird to – not have 'em around, I guess." He considered patting Rodney on the back, but that would've been encouragement.

Rodney growled.

"A lot kinda?" John tried.

Silence.

"Okay, I miss 'em too," John confessed, shame-faced and awkward.

"Was that _so_ hard?" Rodney asked, still not letting go.

John didn't dignify the question with an answer. "Hey, you wanna order pizza?"

"It's just that Cadman said you needed a good hugging. At least I think she said hugging. It was sort of hard to hear, because she was hugging me at the time, and truthfully I was mostly trying to think of how to escape." Rodney paused. "Are you thinking of ways to escape?"

John tried to hitch a shoulder, but couldn't so much. "Sorta." He swallowed, eyes darting around the room, looking for objects with which to inflict blunt trauma. "She hugged you?"

"Yeah." Rodney sighed. "She said I needed it and was too repressed."

"Well – "

"Like _you_ can pass judgment, Colonel Disassociation. The most emotional thing about you is your attachment to your gun, and wow, let's not even get started with the Freudian analysis of _that_."

John sagged a little. It was getting hard to maintain his 'get the hell away from me' posture with any degree of comfort. "Rodney – "

"For fuck's sake, just hug me back and we can forget this ever happened," Rodney said weakly.

"What does Cadman _have_ on you?" John asked.

"Just – please. For the love of . . . arrogant fucking Ancients who steal people's homes out from under them without so much as a by-your leave, just – "

John sighed a put-upon sigh from the bottom of his soul. "I'm not good at this."

"Shocking."

John tried to let his spine go lax, leaning into Rodney's body heat. "It's – "

"Just _do it_ ," Rodney hissed.

John grimaced and bent his head a little, rested his chin on Rodney's shoulder. It took a good bit of mental effort, but he managed to order his hands to come up and clasp Rodney's back. His spine protested painfully, but he won even that battle of wills, forcing it to curve until he was actually hugging Rodney McKay out of something like choice.

"Is it so bad?" Rodney asked resentfully.

"It's – " John arched an eyebrow. "Kinda nice."

"You repressed queen," Rodney sighed.

"You're warm."

"Yes, yes, not a corpse, astonishing discovery."

"And you _smell_ good. What _is_ that?"

"Old Spice," Rodney replied, taking the question just a little too literally.

"Huh." John sniffed his neck and made a soft, satisfied little noise. "This is comfy."

"Oh _now_ you get it."

"Like you're not enjoying it too."

Rodney shifted uncomfortably. "Okay, okay, so maybe I've indulged in fantasies about cold planets and shared body heat."

"Mc _Kay_." Wasn't _this_ turning out all kinds of interesting?

"Shut up," Rodney said, and squeezed a little harder still.


End file.
